After knocking the northern Philippines and killing at least three people there Typhoon Parma advanced towards Taiwan this morning.

 

As the killer storm arraigned into the Bashih Channel which separates Taiwan and the Philippines a land warning was issued on this day’s morning by the Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau.

 

By 5 a.m. Sunday, the eye of the storm was located 340 km south of Taiwan's southern tip Erlunpi. According to the bureau, Parma packed sustained winds of 126 kph with gusts of up to 162 kph with moving at seven kilometers per hour in a northwesterly-north direction.

 

"Right now Parma seems to be swirling in the Bashih Channel and its speed is expected to slow down to 4 kph," weatherman Hsieh Ming-chang said.

 

"As the other typhoon, Melor, is moving towards Japan's Ryukyu Islands, Melor could suck the force of Parma, causing Parma to stay put, build up its power and start moving again," he said.

 

If that occurs, Parma might unload heavy rainfall on southern and southeast Taiwan, he warned.

 

Taiwan commenced the preparation for Parma on Saturday with President Ma Ying-jeou and ministers checking coastal areas' anti-typhoon measures and the military emptying mountain villagers.

 

The city government has stockpiled sand bags to provide free of charge to help residents prevent flood water from reaching their homes in the capital Taipei.

 

Taiwan is taking all these cautious measures as it wants to avoid a repeat of Typhoon Morakot, which hit Taiwan Aug 8, killing 178 people in floods and mudslides.